An Unhealthy Case of Frostbite
by Ravena Wolfborn
Summary: Winter break. A cold home. A nightmare and loneliness never understood. Weiss is kidnapped by Adam, but is Adam really who he seems? Can there be something behind that cruel mask that he shows others? Weiss will find out, and maybe a bond, a connection, a feeling she mistook for Stockholm Syndrome, will form. A Pseudo-Stockholm Syndrome, Frostbite fic.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, guess what I learned! To add a line break. Yes, yes, I've been writing for a while, but this is my accomplishment! I have finally learned.**

 **Now, to get to the root of this. I wanted to write this. I had the idea, and it just stuck in my head, clogging everything up and begging to be let loose, so here it is. I am really really sorry if this doesn't turn out how you want it or if it's not your ship or whatever. You don't have to read it, but I just wanted to get it out there.**

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Chapter 1: A Lonely Visit Home

Weiss

I sigh as I step into the room. This is my room, the one I grew up in, the one filled to the brim with everything that I never cared about. All of it is material possessions, riches that I never felt I needed but used anyway because that's what I was instructed to do. I feel so empty here, like I'm missing a part of myself. In a way, I probably am. My life has changed so much in one and a half years that I'm hardly the same person I was when I started Beacon. I run my hand over my bed, shivering at the cold that surrounds me. It's not just the temperature. It's the very atmosphere, the air around me, what I feel in every cell in my body. This isn't like the energetic air of the dorm room. This room isn't filled with people I've come to love as sisters. This room holds no love for me, either. No one in this house does, really. Father doesn't even acknowledge me anymore. He wouldn't even care if I never came home, if I just disappeared right from under his nose to never return.

I take a deep breath as I pass a window. There's nothing remarkable in the girl I see before me. I've come to learn that I'm not the best nor am I the brightest. I'm just me, just Weiss. Truthfully, I prefer it that way. I have friends now, people to lift me up when I'm down, people who will always chase away the loneliness. They're not here, though. They aren't anywhere near me. I feel the loneliness creep up and shadow me, pulling me into a strange void that I feel is choking me. I take a ragged breath as I pull out my scroll. I could message them. They'd never mind. I'm sure they'd answer me at any time of day. I type out a short message, one of acknowledgement, one of need, but I delete it. I can't just wake them up in the middle of the night because I'm feeling insecure.

I sit on my bed and place my scroll on the nightstand. I'll wait for the morning. This isn't important enough. I can wait. I've waited for years. A few hours will make no difference in the long run. I kick off my boots and place Myrtenaster in a special sheath at the foot of my bed before throwing on a nightgown and curling under the covers for a much needed rest. As soon as my shivers die, I drift off into an unexpected and truly horrifying dream.

The air around me shifts uncomfortably. Darkness greets me everywhere I look. Nothing I do creates even a bit of light. I try to create a glyph, only for it to fail. There's not even a flicker from my fingers. I can't even feel my Aura anymore. It's like I'm an empty shell, devoid of my very soul, my very self. I can't even scream as a pain suddenly shoots up my spine. I turn around slowly to see a tiny pinprick of light manifest in the midst of the void. I start to walk toward it, slowly, hoping that it doesn't disappear. I need that light. I can't live in this darkness.

The light moves, and I feel another pain shoot through me. This time it comes from my chest. I look down to see blood coming from a small hole. I touch the wound and only see a black liquid. It stains my dress as it leaks, creating a strange pool of black that spreads rapidly down the front of white outfit. The pain subsides, and the liquid stops spreading. What the hell is happening?

The light moves to the tip of my nose, and my scar starts burning. Moisture slides down my cheek, and I know it's bleeding, too. The light. It's got to be the light. It moves toward me again, but I back away from it. It stops in midair, seeming to assess what I'm doing. It bobs up and down, and I feel the same pain in my arm. I look down to see the black blood stain my sleeve. It slides down my arm and coats my hand, making that side blend in effortlessly with the darkness surrounding me. It's assimilating me. It's making me become darkness. I back away in fear. I don't want to live in darkness. I can't do this. I start to hyperventilate. I try to slow my breathing, but it doesn't work. I'm brought to my knees as my entire body erupts in pain. The black oozes from me as I fall forward. I can't catch myself in time, and I fall face first into the liquid. I feel it soak into me, pour from my every pore, become absorbed into my very being, filling the void that my Aura left. There's nothing left of me, now. I've become the darkness. I open my eyes long enough to see the light transform into a red blur before the darkness consumes me totally.

I jerk awake to feel the cold night air. I clutch at my neck as I struggle to breathe. Light comes from outside. The moon is reflecting light. I sigh in relief. It's light. It was just a dream. Thank god. My breathing comes back under control. I can't live in darkness, and I don't think I'll ever have to. My scroll vibrates, making me look down. On the screen is a message from Ruby asking if I made it home yet. I smile at that. I'm not alone. I'm not stuck in neverending darkness. I shoot her quick text back and curl back up, praying that that nightmare never happens again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Adam

I'm outside her window. I sneer at the thought that she could live in such luxury while most of us have to scrimp and steal to have food on a daily basis. There's no justice in this world, but we're creating it. We will succeed in changing human views on Faunus, and this is how the new plan is going to start. This one girl will bring the salvation and justice that we deserve, that the White Fang has strived for.

I get closer, almost hugging the window. The moon shines in just the right amount, illuminating her face and hair. There's sweat on her brow, and it makes me raise an eyebrow. It's freezing inside and out. How the hell could she be sweating? Her face twists in pain, and something in me wants to comfort her, but I resist. I growl low in my throat, one that barely even registers in my ears. She's scum, I shouldn't care how she feels. Her family enslaves Faunus. I have to remember that. I have to forget that she's a girl. She's a monster. She's the scum of Remnant. Her kind live and breathe hatred.

I reach down and pry the window open slowly, making sure that I don't wake her. I hear her shift, and I automatically still. I inspect her form, making sure that she hadn't woken up just now. I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding. She's not awake. She's just fidgeting in her sleep. Thank god. I take a deep breath and move the rest of the way in. I'm standing over her bed, watching as she tosses and turns, most likely engrossed in a nightmare. Looking at her, she seems fragile, just broken, but I have a job. I just keep repeating that she's a Schnee over and over in my head. I start to move closer and grasp the blanket in between my hand. Inside my coat is a needle. I position the point over her arm when her eyes pop open. I leap to the side with as little sound as possible. Her scroll goes off, and I hide at the foot of her bed, right beside her weapon. The whole thing is over quickly. She apparently just wants to get back to sleep, and I'm thanking every god there is that I don't have to drag this out any more than I already have.I hear the covers ruffle, and I peek around the corner. She closes her eyes, and that's when I move in. I stab the needle into her arm and let it take effect. She doesn't move at all, and I smile. This was far easier than I would have ever imagined.

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 **A/N: Yes! First chapter out! Woot Woot! Send me any thoughts. ANY. I don't care if you slam it or whatever.**

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	2. Chapter 2

**Alright... Second chapter yay! Inconsistency in character personality... Why yes, yes there are. I can't seem to want to pick just one facade to play off of. Adam will be multisided, almost bipolar at times. I apologize if you can't handle it.**

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Chapter 2: A Prisoner in the Cold

Weiss

My bed feels sharp. I move over only to find a seemingly harder surface. I wiggle around and feel wind on my legs and arms. I reach for my cover and scrape my fingers over stone. My eyes pop open. Stone? I slowly sit up to see nothing, only darkness. My eyes adjust little by little until I can see a faint outline of walls that are far too close to me for my liking. I shiver as another gust of wind comes from a window above me. I hug myself to try to keep the chill away, but it does little. I'm still in my nightgown, and the thin silk does nothing for my usual cold nature. I breath out, only for it to exhale in a puff of steam.

THe darkness draws me into a panic. This is so much like my nightmare. I'm trapped in darkness, not complete pitch, but it's rather close, and I start to hyperventilate. A rattling at the door catches my attention, breaking the spell for a moment. I look up slowly, my movements lethargic and unusually painful in the horrid, freezing cold. The door creaks open, revealing a man with red hair and a mask over his eyes. It's the White Fang. I've been kidnapped, from my own home? How is that even possible? My father has the best security on Remnant, rivaled only by the academies in the sheer force of the guards and obstacles the mansion has.

I look up in awe as the man pulls a blanket from behind his back. He throws it at me, keeping his distance as much as possible. He sneers at me as I slowly wrap the blanket around me. "As much as I'd like to end right here and now, you're a valuable hostage. As soon as your father meets our demands, however, you're as good as dead, princess." I don't have the fight in me to correct him on that like I usually would, so I just rest my head on my knees and hope and pray that he just leaves. He barks a cruel laugh, catching my attention. "What? Nothing to say to me?" I shake my head. "Hmm, and I was going to give you this nice bottle of water, but I don't think you deserve it." He smiles cruelly at me as he unscrews the cap. Suddenly, like this weird psychological thing, my mouth goes dry. I feel thirsty. If he wouldn't have brought it up, I wouldn't have cared, but now, I'm dying for a drink. He takes one drink from it, and I whimper in protest. He smiles wider. "Finally, a reaction. So, princess," he emphasizes the word like an insult, like he'd rather be shot in the head than be in my presence any longer, "do you want this water?" He holds the bottle towards me, and I reach for it. He pulls it away as soon as I get in reach of it. "I want an answer."

I narrow my eyes in rage. I've warmed a little, and it restarted my defiance. "Why are you here, to torture me?" I glare at him, waiting for him to answer.

He chuckles. "Oh, so you can speak. I was wondering for a minute there." He pours some of the water on the floor, letting it drip slowly from the opening. "There's nothing better to do, so I decided to come down here to visit our esteemed guest."

I clench my fists under the blanket. "Why did you kidnap me?" There can't be anything they can get for me, so why did they put the effort toward taking me from my own bed. It would have been so much easier to steal me from Beacon. I wasn't monitored by anyone but my team, and that was even rare. The only one that ever stood by me was Ruby, and even she has to rest some time.

He throws his arms out dramatically. "We just wanted you to experience our hospitality, something very similar to what you have done with my own people."

I grit my teeth. "That wasn't me." I deny every act fervently, even though I'm lying.

He tuts at me. "No, it wasn't, was it? You haven't taken the reigns yet, but your father and his father and his father have. They all have, and we want it to stop. If that means that we have to take you, torture you, ransom you," he pauses for a second before that wicked smile darkens his next words, "kill you," He lets that sink in for a second as he screws the cap back onto the water bottle. "We will do that. Do you understand? This is for our liberation, our equality. If that means that we have to sacrifice you, then so be it."

I swallow hard. They'd kill me to get back at my father, back at my family? Of course, they would. They're all liars, thieves, and murderers. I spit in his direction. "He'll never cave. He's never cared about me. You'll get nowhere by doing this."

He walks over to me and trails his forefinger over my cheek, making me cringe away from him. "Oh, but it will be a fun time, princess. I get to be the one that breaks you, that makes you scream in pain and agony. I will exact vengeance for those that have died because of you, because of the Schnees, and it will be sweet."

I steel myself for the coming torture. They won't break me. I won't let them. I was broken once, but it will not happen again, not when I can help it, not when I know who I can be when I'm not shattered. "Nothing you do will break me." I put all of my will into those words, but somehow, they come out flat and whispered. I feel the fear start to sink in, slowly crawling up my spine to aid him in his endeavors. The chill is nothing now. It's like all of the arrogance and pride that I ever felt is coming back to haunt me. All of those years under my father's iron fist, doing as I was told, doing terrible things, things that I could forget, are coming back to slap me in the face. I might not be that person anymore, but I can see myself, my past self, flash across my eyes, and I fall into an inner darkness that I haven't seen since my first semester at Beacon.

He starts to back out of the room slowly. Before he closes the door, he tosses the water bottle at me. I make no move to catch it, just letting it roll across the floor and stop at my feet. He looks through the bars, grinning maniacally. "I think it'll be easier than you think, but for my sake, try to keep that thought. It'll make it all the more fun after I tear your will apart and show you real fear." He laughs as he turns around, and I can hear it echo through the hallway as his footsteps disappear.

I slowly take the bottle from the floor and open it with two fingers, trying to keep as much of me as I can under the blanket. I take tentative sips, knowing that, if they were going to be giving me anything else today, then he would have brought it with him. He's going to be my torturer, jailer, tormentor, throughout my entire time here. I feel the fear overwhelm me, filling me with doubts in my own innocence. It punches holes in what I've been working for, what I've promised my team. Did I do that because it's right, or to atone for past sins? I deserve this. I really do. I rest my head on my knees again and let the fear consume me as i fall into another nightmare, one even more atrocious than before, one filled with screams and blood, bodies everywhere, and pleading voices as I punish them for imaginary discretions at my father's orders.

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Adam

Fucking Schnee! How dare she make me feel sympathy! How dare she display weakness! I slam my fist into a wall outside my room. I shake the pain away and open my door. Throwing aside my mask, I rub my hand down my face. She deserves everything that will happen, that I said I'd inflict, and I want to see her pay for every man, woman, and child that she ever punished, killed, tormented, at her father's behest or that her father had the honor of doing herself. I pass the only mirror in my room, and see the demented gleam in my eye. If I had any care left, I would assume I'd gone mad, but all I see is justification, a look of determination to right the wrong done to my people.

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 **A/N: Well, that ended on a dark note. Woo... So, um, yh, I just wanna say that this is just a way for me to vent this idea out. It's going to be far from perfect. I apologize that it might not be what you were looking for or something. Um, sorry.**

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	3. Chapter 3

**More Adam x Weiss... Woo!**

Chapter 3: Found and Cared For

Adam

Three fucking days and we haven't heard from her father at all. He's evading all of our messages and warnings. It's like he doesn't want to know what's happening to his own daughters. I kick a stray cart that's just sitting in the middle of the hallway. Fucking bastard, that's what he is. He doesn't care about anyone but himself and his fucking company. It's like he wants his one and only heir to be tortured and killed. He's a fucking piece of work, that's what he is. He deserves everything that will happen to him, whether by my hand or by others'.

I reach the makeshift jail that the White Fang have converted just for our newest prisoner, with specific Aura suppressors and everything, all detailed specifically to glyph users. I sigh as I open the door to see a huddled figure in the corner, covered by the blanket I had given her that first night. "Oi! Princess! Time for our first session." There's no reaction. I walk in to stand beside her. Kicking her lightly in the back, I try again. "Hey, get up!"

She doesn't move. I panic a little throw the blanket off of her. Under it, she was huddled in a tight ball, her skin almost blue, and there was absolutely no movement. Panic strikes a chord in me, making me spur into action. The entire time I'm trying to revive her, I justified the utter panic as me trying to save the only bargaining chip the White Fang has right now, but really, I just can't see her in this state, so unmoving, barely breathing, and freezing cold. I know what I told her a few days ago, about the torture and pain, but I couldn't do that without being eaten alive by the guilt that would come from it. I would do it, pretend to relish the pained screams and every swipe of a blade, but I would feel the humanity within me pressing against the maddened barrier that has has clouded my mind. I know she and her family have been a fucking thorn in the back of the White Fang and all Faunus, and that's putting it lightly. I can almost think of just leaving her to freeze to death, but I curb that instinct and pick her up. This isn't going to go well if I can't get her to a warmer place.

I walk briskly down the hall, gritting my teeth against the cold that's emanating from her form. Soon enough, I find myself standing in front of my own door, wondering how the hell I even got this far without being stopped. I look from side to side to see that the halls are empty, save for a couple of pieces of trash and a cart or two. I sigh. Security is getting lax, especially after the news got out that I had taken the heiress straight from her room, not even facing a single opponent or obstacle.

I kick the door open, making sure I don't hit her head or something on the doorframe. Laying her on the bed, I quickly race to the bathroom and run some hot water. I get the water to a nice temperature, between scolding and luke warm. I run a bath and let the tub fill a decent amount before cutting the water off and going back to the get the girl. I sigh again as I heft her back into my arms and make my way back to the tub. I lay her in it, clothes and all, and wait for her to warm.

Weiss

Something drips down my face, a warm liquid that soaks into my hair. I reach my hand up to pluck something, a small weight, off of my forehead. It's a wet rag. I stare at it curiously, and that's when I notice that I'm actually warm. I'm also not in that cell, if this bed is any indication. I look around and find that the red haired man is in bed beside me, on top of the covers. I scoot away from him hastily, trying to get away from the psycho. I fall off the bed, landing with a thump. It hurts so bad, but I don't care. I have to get out of here before he wakes up.

I stand up and start to walk to the door, but I trip over something. I land hard, face first. It hurts like hell, but I make myself sit up. What did I trip on? I look down to see that I'm in pants. What the hell? I was in my nightgown for three days, and then, suddenly, I'm in pants? They're way too long, too. I look down and inspect the rest of the clothes. I'm not in my nightgown at all! What the fuck! I'm wearing some kind of v-neck, cotton shirt and black pants, just like… I turn to the red haired man. He changed me. He changed me!

I stand up and bend over to roll up my pants before stomping over to the man. "Hey!"

He sits up automatically, startled by my outburst. I see him reach for his weapon to find it gone. "What the hell?!"

I clear my throat. "You changed my clothes." I'm seething right now. Fear or no fear, this man saw me naked and more vulnerable than I've ever been. Not even my father saw me unconscious. He was always barred from the room after training or a beating.

He rolls his eyes. He has the audacity to be flippant about something so sacred, so humiliating for me. "I couldn't exactly put you in the bed in a wet nightown, could I?"

Wet? What is he talking about? "Why was I wet?"

He sighs, whether in resignation or annoyance I have no clue. "You had hypothermia, or was on the verge of it. I put you in a bath to warm you."

Hypothermia? "Why didn't you just let me die?" I look at him curiously. Why couldn't he have just let me sit there for a few more hours? He and my father could have been rid of me once and for all.

"Your usefulness hadn't run out just yet, princess. There's no way I could have let you drop dead, especially on my watch." So, it was self preservation? Would he really go to so much effort just to make sure he didn't have to explain my death?

I'm reeling with confusion. It doesn't make sense. He was talking about torturing me not even three days ago, or was it three days? "How many days have I been in here?"

He looks off into the distance, like he's thinking. "Six? I'm pretty sure it's been six days." He nods. "It's kinda hard to tell when there's no sun or clock to go by."

He took care of me for six days. He could have done anything to me during that time, but I don't feel any pain or any violation that could have been done to me. I look at him in a new color. He saved my life when he was tasked to end it. There was no true motivation behind his actions, and it makes me sad that he's in the organization that's out for my family, for me. Why? I sigh. "So, I've been here for nine days? What about my father?"

His face hardens. "There's no word from him." Oh, this figures. Of course he'd abandon me to the White Fang. He'll probably make it sound so tragic before announcing a new heir out of necessity. He won't cave to their demands. I know he won't.

I look up at the man and sigh, on the brink of tears. "To be expected."

He looks at me, confused. "What the hell does that mean?"

I turn around, giving him my back. It's probably dangerous, but at this point, I don't care. I have nothing to live for anymore, and he's probably going to kill me as soon as he can, so there's no point in trying to live anymore. I'll just have to take every moment he lets me live at face value and cherish it. Maybe he'll even let me send a message to my team or something, tell them that I died. It wouldn't hurt to ask.

There's a knock at the door, and I turn in surprise. The man looks angry and panicked, like he's going to get caught doing something wrong. "Shit. Okay, um, you need to go into the bathroom and not make a sound." He literally pushes me into the bathroom before shutting the door. This is certainly an interesting development. I'm not supposed to be in here, am I?

 **A/N: Alrighty. Another chapter up! I'm happy about this one. It speaks to me. It makes me feel that the evil in the world isn't true evil but good corrupted. That fuzzy feeling and crap, ya know? *sigh* This Adam makes me sympathetic... My Adam is so not the real Adam... *sigh***

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	4. Chapter 4

**Alrighty... New chapter, yh. This is going more in depth with Adam's personality, non-canon. Hope you enjoy.**

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Chapter 4: The Truth

Adam

I rush to the door, but before I open it, I calm myself, make myself neutral. I have to clear the panic off my face if I'm going to be able to lie about this. I open the door to come face to face with a fist. "What do you want." My tone is masterfully authoritative. It took me years to perfect it, but it was worth all of the time and effort.

The man pulls his fist back and stands at attention. "Um, yeah, uh, Sir!"

I growl a bit, an intimidation technique famous among Faunus. "What is it?"

He basically responds how I predicted. He cowers but pulls himself back together. "Sir, the Schnee is gone from her cell."

I curse inwardly. I might need to get better recruits down here, but if I do, there will be no peace. They'll check my rooms, and that won't end well. Maybe this once I can be thankful that the help is shitty. "Yeah, I know."

He looks taken aback. "You know, sir?" Oh, how I love their confusion and doubt sometimes.

I smile wickedly. "Of course, I know. As soon as the four day mark hit without a word from her father, I had a little fun."

He swallows hard. "Fun, Sir?"

"Yeah, fun. Her screams were delicious." I add a lick of my lips for added effect. These guys really believe that I'm that vicious. Fuck, this really messes with my head.

He stammers. "O-oh, u-u-um, yes, Sir, but wh-where is she?" I pinch the bridge of my nose in frustration. The stooge in front of me just waves his arms in front of him, "No, Sir, I didn't mean to question you. Forgive me!" He bows at me in apology.

I sigh and sneer at him. "Forgiven. Now, get out of my sight." He scurries down the hall, trying to get as far from me as possible. This is going to get around to the rest of the recruits. It'll add to my already savage reputation, but it's actually helpful. The more fear and respect I garner, the less someone will doubt me, and the less doubt, the more obedience. I can't have them get too out of line quite yet, can I?

I close the door and lock it, barring anyone entrance into my domain. I wipe a hand down my face, trying to sort my thoughts. She can be safe here as long as she doesn't leave. No one will come looking now, thank god. I walk over to the bathroom and open the door to see her just fall forward onto her face. I laugh a little. "So, did you have a nice time listening in?"

She stands up quickly and blushes. "Um, yes?"

I laugh more and just shake my head. "So, what did you hear?"

She fidgets with her hands, wringing them nervously. "All of it?"

I raise my eyebrow. "Is that a question or a statement?" She's so much fun to mess with. WHy didn't I think of this before? I could have had hours of entertainment that didn't involve continuous blades those first few days.

She takes a deep breath. "A statement. I heard all of it." Then, her expression changes to one of confusion and concern. "Why did you lie?"

My smile drops. "That's none of your fucking business."

Her voice softens. "But you saved my life."

I sneer at her, a forced one that just doesn't feel right in this situation. "Yeah, don't get used to it, 'k, princess?" I hold my hand out in front of me, palm out, to stop her from saying anything. "Look, it's the middle of the night. Just go to sleep."

She looks at me hesitantly. "Where?"

I resist the urge to facepalm. Gesturing toward the bed, I turn around and take my jacket off and wait for her to comply. "Come on. You're getting by the wall. I can't have you do something stupid, like try to escape." She opens her mouth, probably about to protest. "Do you want to sleep on the cold floor?" That shuts her up, and I smile. She climbs in the bed, under the covers, and I go to grab my only extra blanket I have left. Sliding into the bed, I fling the cover already there her way before laying down and pulling the spare blanket up to my chin. "Go to sleep, Schnee. You're gonna need it." Tomorrow, I have to figure out some stuff, like why I almost broke down when she started to cry earlier.

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Weiss

Something warm bumps into me, then it's gone. I crack my eye open to see what was happening to see a very fidgety red head groaning in his sleep. I huff and try to turn over only to have his arms reach out and pull me to him. This is one of the reasons I didn't want to be in the same bed with him. He sleeps like Ruby on missions. Fuck. I wriggle away from him, trying to get out of his arms, but he says something. I listen closer. "Mom, no." Mom? What is going on? "Don't do it. Please, don't leave."

I look up at him, trying to figure out his dream. What is it? "Hey." I whisper it. It's not a good idea to startle someone out of a nightmare. I've learned from years of experience. There's always this line between dreams and reality, and you have to break it before you can truly escape the horrors in your mind. I don't even know his name. God damnit! "Hey." I try again, softly shaking his shoulder.

He just pulls me in tighter. "Don't leave me, please. I can't lose you, too, Blake. Please. no." Blake? I look at him carefully. He said Blake, right? Does he mean Belladonna? Shit, that would make him the fucking leader of the White Fang, if that were the case. Double shit. I'm in his bed. I'm literally being protected by my worst enemy. I move my body around to get a better look at his face. Tears trek their way across his cheeks and over the bridge of his nose. There's a small bit of me that wants to wipe them off his face, but I have to pull myself back. He could kill me tomorrow, and I have to remember that. I can't fall prey to this, to him.

I grit my teeth. "Hey, Adam." I push his shoulder again, but this time, it's much harder and able to jostle him out of the memories. That's what they were. It wasn't a nightmare. It was his memories playing over and over again in his mind, They were pulling him in, and I can't help but feel that pain with him. I know what it feels like to have every despair replay in my head at night. The fear that those dreams and memories bring wrap around you, choke the very life from your eyes, and all you can do is grit your teeth and present a smile to the world, hoping that those around you don't see through it. He does this, it seems, but he doesn't use a smile. No, he uses bloodthirsty intimidation to accomplish his facade. He broadcasts hatred instead of happiness, unending dominance instead of overcompensating arrogance. This side of him would have been left covered if he hadn't insisted on me sleeping beside him. I would never have know, never have felt, but I can't go back now. I can't ignore this nagging insistence inside me, the one telling me that we're so similar, even in our differences. There's no going back, and I'm not entirely sure that I'm disappointed.

His eyelids crack open, revealing some of the most compelling red eyes I've ever seen. "Why are you so close to me?"

I snap out of the mini-trance that he had me under. Huffing, I push away from him. "Excuse me, but you were the one that was prattling on in the middle of the night and pulling me toward you."

He scoffs. "Like I'd ever do that." I look at him incredulously. He's going to sit there and deny with all of the lying ability he has, which seems to be quite a lot if the past is anything to go off of.

I sit up and cross my arms over my chest. "You did. By the way, you talk in your sleep."

This seems to get a genuine reaction out of him. I can see the momentary panic in his eyes before it disappears completely. "What did I say?" He treads carefully, probably not entirely wanting to know what he said.

I hesitate. Should he know? Will it open wounds? I know I never did want to know, but for years, things were rubbed in my face, including fear, humiliation, failure, even my gender. I was never what my father wanted me to be, and he made sure to let me know every second of every day. I clear my throat. "You called for your mom and Blake." I look away, hoping that new tears didn't fall. I can't handle emotions well, not even my own. They're too complex, too raw, for me to process well. I look over to see not a single drop fall from his eye or trail down his cheek. He just has this horribly defeated expression on his face, and for reasons that I've only recently discovered, it tears me apart to see that, to see him filled with such despair. "Adam."

My voice trails off when his head snaps up. "How do you know my name?" He doesn't look all that angry or panicked. It's more of a surprised expression, if anything.

"It's Blake, right? Blake Belladonna, the one you were calling for?" I wring my hands and don't look up. I'm right. I just know it. I've caught glimpses of the sketches in her journal. It's him, Adam, the man right in front of me.

His mouth opens but nothing comes out. Finally, through gritted teeth, he says, "Yeah." It's like his voice is fixing to crack, but he's holding it all back, all of the pain, the suffering, the broken heart he probably has. He doesn't want it to escape.

I nod once before lifting my head to look into his eyes. "I understand."

I don't know if what comes next is good or bad, but he falls into my arms, sobbing. I fear that I've broken him, but then he hugs me tighter, and I understand. He needed the release. He needed to let go of what he had pent up inside of him for these long years, probably just a little more than a year and a half, ever since Blake left. I just let it happen. What's the worst that could happen, right?

* * *

 **A/N: New chapter! Okay, I gotta say that this is progressing well... I actually like it now. It's not just a way to get it out of my head. I'm emotionally invested in their relationship now. Wow, never imagined that. Huh.**

 **I do have a account. The link is on my profile. I would appreciate any contribution. :)**

 **Follow, Favorite, Review!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Escape

Weiss

Winter break is over. The full two and a half weeks have come and gone, and I haven't left this fucking room. I haven't seen sunlight, haven't seen anyone but Adam. Adam. Adam's different now. I don't know entirely what happened, but he changed since that night. He's softer in my presence. I can't help but think that maybe he's changing his mind about me, or has he already changed his mind? I look down at the breakfast that he left me before having to go on his way on some kind of self-assigned mission. I sigh and bat around the oatmeal, stirring it constantly. I'm not hungry, and I haven't been for a while. I think I might be homesick, but I don't know if I want to leave, barring that I can.

I take a bite of the oatmeal, repressing my revulsion to the thick substance, I eat it. I have to. I can't just let myself starve or waste the food that Adam literally risks his life to get for me. There's no way that I'd make him lose his life in vain. I shake my head. It won't come to that. There's no way that he could ever die, not with his skill, not with his thick skulled determination. I sigh and lay down my spoon. How come I even care? I've only known his for two weeks. He KIDNAPPED me, and I'm thinking about his sacrifice for me. Fuck.

I push the table away from me and lay back in the bed. Raking my hands down my face, I almost want to throw a tantrum. I just can't make any noise. I can't have the guards or other White Fang members to know that I'm here. I'd rather not die today,thank you very much. This is fucking confusing, that's what all of this is. I've read about stuff like this, where people develop connections with their kidnapper or tormentor, and I can't believe I'm falling into the fucking stereotype. I know how impractical this all is, yet it's still happening. I do as he says, think about him all day, wait for him to come home. Fuck, I just called this place home. I'm in too deep. I think I'm going to have to escape. I have to get out of here, distance myself. I don't think I'll be able to take this much longer.

I scrub another hand down my face and sit up. Taking a deep breath, I go to the door and hesitantly reach for the knob. This is my chance. I can get out of here, I can leave and never have to see this place ever again, never see… never see Adam again. I hesitate for just a second longer as his face flashes across my mind, but my hand lands on the door knob, and I turn it gently. Poking my head out cautiously, I look both ways. There's no one there, no guards at all. I almost woop in victory but catch myself. Why didn't I think of this sooner? I smile in utter defiance of that thought. I'm doing it now, and that's what matters. I can escape. I take a deep breath and take a tentative step out of the door. So far, no one has come, so I take another step and close the door behind me. No going back. I have to keep moving forward. I decide to go left, looking for an exit.

Three lefts and one door later, I'm outside. This place sucks as a base. Adam should really think about reinforcing this place. Adam… I shake my head and look ahead of me. It's a forest. A forest full of Grimm, most likely, and I don't have a weapon. I sigh and start my trek home, to Beacon, to my team. North is the best bet at this point, and I wouldn't mind getting lost and enjoying the outside for a while. I smile and start forward. Best idea I've ever had.

* * *

Worst fucking idea I've ever had. I'm lost, totally, utter lost, in a forest for fuck's sake. I groan as my bare feet are sliced open yet again by stones and sharp twigs. This is great, just great. I'm lost, and bleeding, and hungry, and thirsty, and I just want to get out of this god forsaken woodland area that I now deem hell. Fuck! It happened again.

I look up from inspecting my foot to see a cliff. A cliff. Beacon! Beacon's on a cliff. I run up to it and start to climb. It's haphazardous, really, especially with my feet and hands slick with blood, but I press on. Freedom is just so close. I can taste it, and I can't let it go. There's no way that I'd let myself die before I can see my team again, see Beacon again. I keep climbing, focusing and narrowing my attention to the placement of my limbs. If I can do this, I can do anything. I repeat over and over again that I can do it. All I have to do is find one more hand hold. It feels like forever before I'm at the top, grabbing grass and real dirt. I take a deep breath and push my muscles to the max, pulling myself over the lip. I fall over as soon as I'm up, not even bothering to see which cliff I just climbed. I take deep, panting breaths, trying to get oxygen back into my muscles. They throb weakly, pulsing bits of dull pain throughout my body. I don't want to move right. Maybe I can just lay here for a while. Maybe I can just sleep. My eyes close of their own will, letting me sink into a painless dark.

* * *

"Shit! Weiss?" A voice wakes me up. I open a groggy eye to see a flash of yellow come at me. I can't even move right now. It just hurts so much. I feel myself being lifted up and moved. Where are they taking me? Who is this?

I lick my lips, finding them dry. "Wha?"

Apparently, my barely audible question reaches the person's ears because they answer. "Weiss, are you okay?"

I grunt. "No." This person has some nerve actually asking that.

A laugh, a familiar laugh sounds. Whose laugh is that? I know it, really I do. I just can't place it. "Man, you scared us half to death when we didn't see you yesterday, you know?"

Yang. It's Yang. That's who's carrying me. "Yang?"

I open my eyes fully to see her staring down at me. "Where were you? You weren't even answering your scroll, and I find you at the edge of a cliff in this state, without you sword, too!"

I want to tell her to shut up, but it's just nice to be found, to be worried over. I sigh then start laughing. It hurts so much, but I don't care. My father never told them. He didn't even release it to the press. No one knew. Fuck, this is priceless. I get control of my breathing, and I feel strangely better, like the pain is slowly starting to dissipate. I look around me and see a faint yellow glow. She's healing me. She's giving me her Aura. I clear my throat. "I was kidnapped."

She looks down, startled. "What?"

I nod. "Yeah, and by the way, could you put me down? I think you've healed me enough."

She looks at me and blinks once before slowly lowering me to the ground. I brush off my clothes a bit. Despite the dirt and blood stains, this outfit actually held up pretty well. Maybe I'll keep them. "Kidnapped?"

I look up at her. "Mmm, yeha. I guess no one knew?" Despicable, that's what father is. I bet he even has a new heir right now, assuming that I've died by terrorist or some bullshit like that without even concerning himself with actually checking.

"You guess!? What the fuck, Weiss. Wouldn't something like this be on the news?" Her eyes have gone red from her obvious anger. They sort of remind me of… No, I'm not going to think of him. I needed to distance myself, not find ways to remember him.

I hum in thought. "Not if Father didn't want it to be." I smile. "Thanks for worrying, though. I was able to escape." It wasn't much of an escape. The most effort I put into it was climbing that cliff, which apparently was the Beacon cliff. Interesting.

Yang scoffs. "You were gone for only a day, technically, for us. Ruby was the one the most worried. You never answered any of her calls or texts." She puts her finger on her chin. "THough, there was that one time when a man answered, telling us that you were fine."

I gulp. "What did he sound like?" It was probably Father.

"Hmm, like, it was average, I guess. Not too squeaky, not too deep. He sounded about our age, you know?" She shrugs. "Why?"

I almost hyperventilate. It was Adam, wasn't it? It wasn't Father,that's for sure. Father has too deep of a voice for that to be him. I shrug it off, though, for Yang. "Just wondering."

"Okay, well, I guess we better get to the dorm, not that we weren't heading that was anyway." She takes my arm and leads me back to the room. I'm actually glad that I'm back, aren't I? I'm pretty sure, but why does it feel like I'm missing something, like a piece of me that should never be left behind?

When Yang opens the door, she just has to be loud about it. "Guess who I found!"

I see Ruby look down from her bed with wide eyes. "Weiss!" She jumps off her bed and comes at me to tackle hug me. I reciprocate, of course. I strangely missed her hugs.

I sigh into her shoulder. "God, I missed you guys." It's barely a whisper, but I know she and at least Blake heard me.

She gets pulled off of me by Yang, who holds her aloft. "Now, now. Don't break her the first day back, Rubes."

Ruby actually pouts. "Awe, but I haven't seen her in forever."

I laugh a little, startling Ruby. "It's fine. I'm used to it by now." And I am. She wouldn't be Ruby if she didn't tackle hug me at least once a week. I just brace myself for it and let it happen.

I look over to Blake, who is looking at me strangely. "Those clothes." Her voice is soft, like she's remembering something she'd rather not.

I look down at them. Adam. They're Adam's clothes. Oh no. She knows. "Yeah."

She actually gets up and does something I would never have thought that she would ever do. She hugs me. "Weiss." She pulls away from me, holding me at arms left. "Did they hurt you? Did he?"

I look into her eyes and smile. "Surprisingly, no."

Her frown deepens. "Then why are you wearing his clothes?" She hisses it, like she didn't want to think about him, speak his name, or drag up those memories. I respect her wishes. No matter how easily it is for me to say his name, I won't say it. I'll keep everything locked inside. THey don't have to know, and I don't have to tell.

I sigh. "I stole them."

She looks at me skeptically. "You stole them."

I nod, looking straight into her eyes. I have to be convincing. She has to let this go. "Yes. I stole them and escaped."

She hums in thought. "Right, well, at least your back." She pulls me in for another hug and whispers in my ear, "I want the whole story later. Do you understand?" She gives me a hard look before returning to her bunk. The rest of the night was pretty much laid back. I could breath in the relief that I'm finally back, but I can't help but fall asleep thinking about Adam.

* * *

 **A/N: She escaped... *sigh* This is where everything gets complicated, guys. Stay with me. I swear... Nevermind. Can't promise anything. It'll give away things. Of course, I will leave you with this:**

 **A catalyst, a cause.**

 **People stay, people go.**

 **What stays forever**

 **is the love we all show.**

 **An angel in the dark**

 **is still the purest of light.**

 **But a demon can appear**

 **in the darkest of night.**

 **Taming a beast,**

 **changing his heart,**

 **is a goal and feat**

 **that only angels can start.**

 **Foreshadow? Or has this already happened? All I know is that I wrote that poem at 10:36 am EST on 2/19/2016. Like, right now. lol. I just wanted to do something creative and add it in. And! I finished the epilogue last night, so I'll be posting this one daily, 'k? So, like, yh. Finally got it out of my head. Woo!**

 **I do have a account. The link is on my profile. I'd appreciate any contribution. :)**

 **Follow, Favorite, Review.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Regret and Loss

Adam

"Weiss, I'm back." I close the door behind me and am greeted with silence. I look around and see a half eaten bowl of oatmeal. She's… she's gone. I check the bathroom just in case. She can't be gone. I sit on my bed. She left me. She said she understood, but she left me anyway. I put my face in my hands as I bend over. Has she been waiting for an escape this entire time? Was she luring me into a sense of false security? How could she do this?

I sit up slowly. No, how could I do this? How could I become so attached again? I let myself feel a connection. I let myself feel for her. Now that she's gone, though, I feel incomplete. It's even worse than when Blake left me. It's not betrayal that I feel but loss. It's like she walked out of here with my heart, and I couldn't do anything to stop her. How did I let her in in such a short amount of time?

I want to go ask her why she left, but I know that right now wouldn't be the best time. It would be suspicious if I left right after coming back from a successful mission. I'll give it three days before I follow her. I already know where she'd go, anyway, so it doesn't matter. I lay back in bed and close my eyes. For now, I'm not taking off my mask. I won't take it off until I'm in her presence again. I'm not a monster with her, but I'll be damned if I'm not a monster without her. I clutch my chest and fall into darkness, letting the nightmares consume me in the wake of my failure and loss.

I'm little again, maybe four or five. Birthdays weren't really measured when I was growing up. There was too much running to keep up with dates and seasons. Suddenly, I'm violently forced under a table, pushed under the table cloth and hidden. I panic at first and struggle against whoever is holding me there. I look up to see my mom. I calm instantly and relax in her arms. There must be a reason I'm under here if she's under here, too.

There's a bang, and jump. Mom's arms hold me down though, and she covers my mouth. I can feel her lips against my ear before she starts whispering, "Be very quiet, love. They've come, and I don't want them to find you. Do not move from this spot, no matter what you hear." I nod at her, too afraid to do much else.

An angry voice catches my attention. "You filthy animals! We know you're in here!" A shattering sounds, and I somehow know that they've started throwing things into the window, breaking the glass. "Come out now, and we won't burn you to ashes." A faint glow comes from under the cloth. I can see the flames flicker wildly as if he's waving a torch about. I feel mom let go of me, and suddenly, she's gone. I hear a single scream before everything goes dark again.

Everything is red. I look around, and I'm back in Forever Fall. Everything is muffled, like I don't want to relive this, but the memory is pulling me in. I feel myself sheath Wilt and turn around. I know what comes next, and it's haunting me. Blake is rapidly getting farther away. I can feel the betrayal and anger seethe within me. She left, just like mom. I fall to my knees as she rounds the bend. I clutch my chest as tears of anger and disappointment fall from my eyes. Slowly, the background fades into white, and I'm greeted with the most beautiful, glacial eyes. I'm mesmerized by them, pulled in closer. Then, a black slash goes straight across them, blanking the canvas in front of me and taking her away from me forever. I pull back, startled by the sudden emptiness in front of me. She's gone. There's no trace that she was even there, really, and I just fall to my knees, unable to support my weight anymore.

The loss is too much. I feel myself start to hyperventilate and become lightheaded. I fall into darkness and open my eyes. I'm back in my room. I sit up and feel the moisture on my cheeks. I'm going after her tomorrow, consequences be damned! I sit back up and try to occupy my mind because I know that I won't be able to go back to sleep right now.

* * *

Weiss

I can't sleep. It's like I'm consumed by the need to be near someone, like something's missing. He's missing, that's what. We stopped sleeping with a barrier of blankets between us after that night I woke him up. I'd wind up falling asleep in his arms, and it scares me how dependent I became. I feel cold without him, now, and it's a terrifying cold, one that threatens to consume me. I shiver again and curl into a ball to conserve heat. I'm also back in a nightgown again. That could be contributing to it. I haven't worn a nightgown since before I woke up from the six day coma.

I sigh as my shifting opens a tiny hole in the barrier from the unnatural cold assailing me. I tuck myself in as much as I can, but there's always a draft. It's like the very fabric of fate doesn't want me to be comfortable, and I can't understand why. I close my eyes and wish for the cold to go away.

* * *

Weiss

I'm startled awake, by a force falling down on me. I snap my eyes open to stare into silver ones. "Fuck, Ruby. What the hell was that for?" The bite that my words would usually have is dulled by exhaustion.

She pokes my nose. "Awe, don't be like that, Weissy. I was just happy that you coming back last night wasn't a dream."

I sigh. Of course. She's always like this, after every break. "Ruby, could you please get off of me?" She jumps off me with a smile. It's really hard to be mad at her anymore. It's positively vexing how they all wormed their way into my heart. They're like the sisters I never had. I frown. Winter was there, but she wasn't there for me. She was there because Father wouldn't let her leave. As soon as she got a way out by joining Atlas Academy, she took it, leaving me alone with Father. I shake my head and move to get up. As soon as I stood, though, something red falls from under the cover. I look down to see the red shirt that I had been wearing, the one he gave me. I just stare at it, trying to figure out when I had grabbed it to begin with. It had to have been during the night at some point, but when?

I let my gaze leave it to roam the room, hoping no one else realized that it was there. Much as my luck would have it, though, Blake is staring at me with a very pensive expression. She's guessed a lot from last night. I can see it in her eyes. This only confirmed any suspicions that she could have had before hand. I sigh. Would it be a good thing to tell her? Can I tell her? Do I even know all of it myself? I know that I identified with him. I know that it's probably hazardous to even think about him at all, but I just can't stop. There's no logical reason for this bond that my mind has created. I feel the need to clutch my head and cry, to redirect my thoughts, to piece together my feelings.

A static echoes in the room before someone speaks. "Miss Schnee, would you come to my office?" It cuts out before I can even answer. Does the intercom system even work like that? Can you answer? Why did he phrase it as a question? I sigh and grab my clothes to change in the bathroom. What could he want me for? I stop. Wait, how does he even know I'm here? I start to speed walk. There was to be a reason he called me.

A long walk and an elevator ride later, I'm walking into his office. "Please, sit." The massive, metal chair spins around to show Ozpin. I do as he suggests, and before I can speak, he holds up his hand. "Let me see if I have this straight, Miss Schnee. I received words of your disappearance far before even your father knew. You were stolen from your on bed and were held captive by the White Fang for the duration of your break. Am I correct?" I nod. How does he know this? "Now, I'm sure you're wondering how I came about this information, am I correct?" I nod again. "Well, suffice it to say that I have many people I rely on for such things." I open my mouth to ask another question, but he speaks first. I close my mouth. I've learned the hard way to never speak while being spoken to by authority figure. I learned that lesson all too well. "I also know a few things that you yourself will not even admit to, like how the leader of the White Fang let you stay in his own private quarters, or how, every day you were there, it felt like you were being pulled into a swirling void of emotions that you don't quite understand, or how, every time you saw the man, you smiled, and he smiled back. There's a million questions in your head right now, and there's no way that you could ever answer them all. I don't think anyone could answer the turmoil inside you right now. All I'm going to say is that you should forget what has happened. You should forget that man. He's a horrible man, a criminal, a terrorist."

Something snaps inside me. "He's a good man! He was forced to become what everyone else sees him as. Adam is kind and caring and one of the best people I've ever met." I hug myself as tears start to fall. "You don't understand."

Ozpin's voice never raises. It's like he incited this on purpose. I stare up at him as he goes on. "He's killed, tortured, maimed. He's a thief, a liar. Do you not understand? You tell me that I don't understand, but I do. He's manipulated you. He's lied and brought you to his side. You need to understand that there is no sense in what you are feeling. What you saw, what you experienced, was all a lie, a deceitful and horrible story that never should have been made to begin with."

I shake my head furiously. "No. No, that's not true." I refuse to believe it. Those tears, those nightmares, they were real. I know it. You can't fake that kind of fear, that kind of sadness, that kind of loneliness. I refuse to think that he lied to me.

He stands and walks over to me. "Weiss." That's the first time I've ever heard him refer to a students by their first name when it wasn't followed by their last name. "You have to believe me." I look into his eyes. That look is of pure belief in what he's saying, but I just can't believe him. There's no way that it was all fake. That's when I realize that it was more than a connection, more than Stockholm Syndrome. I believe in Adam with all of my heart, and that's what I've given him. Why did I leave?

I stare back at Ozpin with what I hope is a meek expression and nod. "I believe you. There's no rationality to it. If I'm anything, I'm rational and logic based." At least, I used to be.

He smiles a little and nods in approval. "Good. Go back to your room. You and your team have the week off from classes. Take care to spend extra time with them, Miss Schnee." He takes a sip of his coffee before making a dismissive gesture.

I nod. "Thank you, Sir." I leave. I leave behind his stupid, incessant rambling about lying when he, himself, just lied to me. There's no going back. After that realization, there's no believing that it's anything else but some kind of crush. I'm not necessarily sure if it's love, yet, but it could have been, and that's something that I won't let go lightly. I stop at the large, bay window situated in the hallway. Coincidentally, and I'm not sure that I even believe in coincidences anymore, I wind up looking out at the cliff that I had climbed, at the forest I had trekked, to get away from the feelings that I couldn't admit to myself. Now I know why I regretted ever leaving that room. Now I know that maybe coming back to Beacon wasn't such a good idea.

* * *

 **A/N: Yes, yes... I think I've realized that I overuse the F-word... Anyways... That dream, tho... *sigh***

 **I do have a ... The link is on my profile. Any contribution would be much appreciated. :)**

 **I feel like I should warn you guys. The genre is Romance/Tragedy... I just want to share that some bad things do happen... Not specifying what, tho... :( ;)**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: A Wounded Heart Reaching

Adam

I stand in front of the compound. North of here is Beacon and I'm sure that that's where she went. She would have just guessed where it was, but I know that that's where she'd end up eventually. I clutch my chest and take a deep breath before starting the run to the cliff. Soon, I start to hear the howling, the sign that Beowolves are on my tail. I slide to a stop beside a tree before looking around, listening to every shift of movement from the shadows that are dogging me. I do a three-sixty spin to take in everything as the shadows emerge. This is nothing. I laugh a low, raspy laugh, one that would instill fear into any normal opponent, but these monsters are unfazed. I take a slow, deep breath and wait. It's best if they attack first.

Twelve surround me, and I feel their glares. Out of my peripheral, I see three on my left lunge forward. I don't even unsheathe Wilt to bat them away. They stagger backward, disoriented. I smirk and hit them once more over their head to finish it. They're left to become black mist. Another comes at me, and this time, I quickly slash and sheathe Wilt before stepping aside from one other opponent. Two charge from opposite ends, trying to keep me from running. I smile as I wait for just the right moment to unsheathe Wilt. Now! Wilt is a red blur as it cuts through flesh and bone cleanly, leaving the Beowolves a writhing mass of evaporating corpses.

I watch the smoke wisp around me, not even really concentrating on the others. This isn't a challenge. This is just too easy. "Where's my challenge!" I shout to the sky. I feel something sink into my shoulder. I look at it and see claws withdraw from my skin, coated in my blood. I think I might have lost it. I don't feel a thing, no pain, no regret. All I do is level Blush at its head and pull the trigger. There's the deafening sound of the bullet leaving the muzzle. It's a sweet but short symphony that pulls me into the madness that seems to slowly start to consume me. I shoot another and another and another, sending all of them down. It's just too easy, and I've lost the patience to kill them off slowly, to savor the blinding smoke that starts to cloud my vision in the wake of their dying forms.

There's three more, and they start to slowly back away. I could let them go, but I don't feel like having them call for backup. I just want to get to Beacon and get my answers. I take a deep breath and take off after them. I jump into the air and kick off a tree, making me turn perpendicular to the ground. As soon as I reach the crescendo of the arc and begin to fall, I pull Wilt and slice clean through their skulls. I land, kneeling and sheath my sword. Standing to my full height, I take a deep breath and run my hand through my hair.

"I'm on my way, Weiss." I whisper it into the wind, hoping that it doesn't carry it her way. I don't want her to know I'm coming because there's a chance, and unfortunately, it's the only reason I'm fixating on, that she didn't want to stay, that she left to get away from me. I hang my head for a few seconds until I feel something wet slide down my arm. I look at it and see the black of my coat becoming deeper, getting impossibly darker with every beat of my heart. I growl in frustration. This is just going to slow me down. Why the hell did I even get distracted enough to let this happen? I clutch my arm as I finally feel the pain envelope me. The adrenaline wore off, and now, the pain is just coursing through me. I grit my teeth and just slowly make my way to the cliff. I still have to get there, so I'll just have to bear with it.

* * *

Weiss

I must have sat at that window for hours because the sun is started to set. I bite my lip as I place my hand on the glass, trying to reach beyond it, to the past, to that forest, to that room. I close my eyes as a choked sob tries to make its way past my lips. Why am I even still dwelling on this? There's no possible way that we can even be together. Love over enemy lines never works in the favor of the lovers. There are too many things that can go wrong! Just look at Romeo and Juliet! Fuck, that was a messed up ending. Love doesn't last like that. Someone always ends up dead or leaving.

I lay my forehead on the window. I've had too much tragedy and fucking angst in my life for me to be experiencing it over something so trivial, so unnecessary. I bite my lip as I stare at the cliffs longingly. This is all just so confusing. I gasp as I see a black and red figure pulls itself up the edge of the cliff. At first, it looks like a Grimm, but I can't see any bone plating, no spikes, so I let the breath out. Who is it? I press myself closer to the window, hoping to get a better view, but I can't see anything else. The figure stands up fully, and realization hits me. Adam. It's Adam. I bolt down the hall, towards the exit. Running as fast as I can, despite any rational thought that I possess, I wind up standing in front of him in less than a minute. I pant for breath as I stare into his eyes. He's not wearing his mask, and it's confusing. He never goes out without. Then, I slap myself mentally. I'd gotten so used to his habits, his schedules, in such a short time. I memorized every detail of him.

* * *

 **A/N: SHHHHH. I suck at fight scenes. Deal with it. lol. Development wise, how do you feel it went?**

 **I do have a account. The link is on my profile. Any contribution would be much appreciated. :)\**

 **Follow. Favorite, Review!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Sentimentality

Weiss

I let out a shaky breath. "Adam."

He stares at me, unbelieving. "Weiss." It's a hushed whisper, barely audible, but I hear it. I listened for it. I thought I'd never hear his voice again, but here I am, standing in front of him.

I smile and let out a soft laugh. "I missed you."

He frowns. "Then, why did you leave?" The crushed look in his eyes, the disappointment, the utter loneliness that I perceive from him is tear inducing.

I feel my eyes water, that inching in the back of my eyes. "I had to figure some things out."

He steps closer to me, making me take in an impossible breath. My chest just feels so tight. I swallow slowly, trying to clear the very fear of this confrontation from my mind. He's standing so close now, and I have to crane my neck to look him in the eyes now. He reaches his hand to brush his thumb against my cheek. "Did you?"

I bite my lip as I feel myself leaning into his touch. "I did." He leans closer to me, then, and I feel as if my body is working without my mind. I feel myself lift onto my toes, trying to close the distance.

Unfortunately, my luck is rather lacking. A deliberate rustle of grass and clack of heels against rocks breaks the trance we both seemed to have been in. Adam turns around, blocking my view. "Adam, is that you?"

Blake. It's Blake. I cover the gasp that could come out. "Blake."

"It is. What the hell are you doing here?" I could here the aggravation in her voice, almost fury, but she's usually too call for that to slip through the mask she puts up.

I press closer to Adam, like I could hide from her, but I can't. I don't blend in with nature. I don't blend in with Adam. I can feel the vibration of his voice as he answers. "I've come for answers."

How hasn't she seen me? "You know why I left."

He laughs. "Not from you." My eyes widen.

"Then who?" Fear and something else is intertwined with each short syllable coming from her.

I choose that moment to collect myself and step from behind him. "Me."

Blake looks at me, disappointed. "Why are you out here with him? Did you plan this?"

I shake my head. "It was all by chance on my part. I was looking out that window," I point to the side, "and I saw a figure coming up the cliff. At first, I thought it was a Grimm, but then, I looked closer and saw Adam. It was Adam, and I couldn't stop myself from coming out here to meet him, to see him, to speak with him." I hang my head in shame. I should have been able to control myself, but I couldn't. I should have just left it all alone. He would have left eventually. I could have just hidden, both myself and my feelings. I should have. It would have been easier.

I pick my head up to see Blake with a concerned look on her face. "I'm not saying that you were stupid. No, wait, that's exactly what I'm saying. He could have come to kill you, and you would have offered yourself up like a fucking sacrifice."

The concern turns to disappointment, and I feel myself wanting to look at Adam and demand that he tell me it's not true. I couldn't take it if it was. I don't think I'd be able to stand it if he had come to kill me. I feel my composure slip, the one that I usually try so hard to keep. I turn to Adam, who is just standing there, not even denying anything. "Did you?"

He chooses that moment to look at me, and I see how pale he is. He's looking more and more like a corpse. It's like he's losing a lot of blood, but I don't see… there. His right arm. Blood is trickling from his fingertips. I gasp as he falls to his knees. He looks up at me with such sorrow and resignation. "I didn't. I couldn't kill you, like I could never kill Blake. I'm not that far gone yet."

I fall to the ground with him. I unbutton his coat and throw it off of him. Next, I rip his sleeve off to see blackening bite marks deep in his shoulder. I gasp. "Why didn't you tell me?"

He laughs. "You didn't have to. I just wanted to see you again before I die."

Tears threaten to spill once more. "You are not dying. All I have to do is stop the bleeding. Your Aura will heal it fairly easily." Hopefully. "When did you get this?"

He looks up and then at the wound. "This morning, I think."

Ah, so it's salvageable. There isn't any permanent damage. I breathe a sigh of relief. "Okay, good. It'll heal if I clean it." I reach into my bag and pull out a roll of bandages, some antiseptic, and a bottle of water. I pour water over it first, making sure that I rinse all of the blood off of it. I know that a bit more blood will appear, but the dried layer will be gone so that the antiseptic can do its job. I dab at it with a small piece of bandage in an attempt to dry it. I sigh as I see that they're not as deep as I thought. "You're very lucky. It's not as bad as it looked."

Adam opens his mouth but is interrupted by Blake. "Why the hell are you bandaging him up? Shouldn't we be beating the hell out of him? He did kidnap you."

I spray the harsh liquid on the wound, making him hiss. "Sorry. I should have said it would sting."

"Are you just going to ignore me?"

I place the bandages around his arm carefully, not too loose but not too tight. "Blake, truly, I have nothing against him. He helped me, really. I should be thanking him for a lot of things. He got me away from my father. I'm grateful for it all."

"You, you're grateful? Didn't he lock you up in that cell? I helped build that before coming to Beacon. This plan has been in motion for years."

I let myself slip a bit. I kiss the bandage, willing a bit of my Aura onto the site. I look up to see both Blake and Adam staring at me like I'm crazy. I blush, realizing what I just did. You can't exactly be subtle about Aura. It'll glow as soon as you activate it. "I didn't stay in that cell past three days." I stare into Blake's eyes, understanding her disbelief. "I almost died, Blake."

"How… Who saved you if you almost did?" I see that she can't grasp at the obvious answer. She won't believe that the Adam that she knows is the same Adam that I know, but he's not who she thinks he is.

I stand up, careful not to touch Adam's shoulder. "He's not the man you think he is."

She looks at me in indignation. "He's killed hundreds! How can you tell me that he's not who I think he is?" She keeps her entire body still, but tense, like she'll attack the moment something seems off.

I sigh. "He saved me, in so many ways, Blake." I try to will it all into her mind, every memory that we made, every change that I saw or experienced.

She shakes her head. "You're just delusional. You have Stockholm Syndrome or something. There's no way you of all people could have fallen in love with the enemy. Cause that's what this convoluted crap that you've been spewing points to."

"I've thought about this, Blake. A lot. It's not Stockholm Syndrome. I can feel that it's not so artificial." I clutch my heart at this. It can't be that. It has to be real. She's just trying to sow seeds of doubt.

She walks up to me and grabs my shoulders. "Snap out of it. You used to be so rational, questioning everything, but look at at you! You're a fucking simpering mess! What has gotten into you?"

I smack her arms away. "You don't understand."

"I do. Believe me, I do. He saved me, too, but he changed. He changed too much." She looks away from me to stare at Adam. I look, too. He's standing on his own now. He's not so pale, and it makes me smile.

"Blake. I'm sorry. I let the power and fear corrupt me. I couldn't hold onto the small piece of humanity left in me, and I'm ashamed. I should have been able to. I was strong enough, physically, but I had a weak will." He looks at me. "Weiss changed that. She gave me something to live for, a reason to take off the mask."

Blake looks at him with a hate filled gaze. "But I wasn't enough?"

Adam shook his head. "You were slipping into the shadows with me. I'm glad you left. It made me think. It made me hope. I had so much time to sink even deeper, but your leaving made me realize that I could leave, too. If I put the effort into it, if I had something to leave for, and now I do. Now, I hae Weiss." His head falls. "I know I've done horrible things, unimaginable things that I deserve punishment for, but I want to atone for my sins."

Blake frowns deeply. "That's bullshit. What the hell are you even trying to say, that you are going to leave the White Fang to its own devices? Are you going to be a coward like me?"

Adam frowns, too, and I look between them. "You weren't a coward. You did the right thing. You left when things got dark, something I need to do."

Blake slaps him, like a skin to skin crack echoing in the distance kind of slap. "Shut the fuck up." She's crying now. What's even happening. "You need to do what I was too afraid to. You need to go back. You need to change the Fang. You need to forget about all of the things you did. Forget about atonement. Just put all of your effort into reforming what you corrupted."

Adam holds his cheek, jaw open in shock. He seems as confused as I am. "I can't go back, Blake."

"Did you leave them, tell them you were?"

He shakes his head. "No. I didn't tell anyone."

"Then, you have a chance. Just take it. Leave here, go back. Change. If you've truly changed, you'd do this." Blake says as she points down into the woods.

"I can't." I look at him and see the defeated expression on his face.

"Why?" I speak up for the first time during their argument. Even when my heart clenched when Blake smacked him, I didn't say a word or make a sound, but it seems important to ask this. I have to know. "Why can't you go back." He looks me in the eye, and I understand. I know why he can't go back. It's the same thing that I saw in him that night. The loneliness, the nightmares, the fear, all of it must consume him when he's that deep in that stone fortress that he's isolated, without contact, and I can see why he doesn't want to go back. "Ah. You don't have to, Adam. Nobody should endure that."

"What the hell are you going on about? He was the fucking king in the White Fang. He's the leader!" Blake looks between us, clearly not seeing what I do.

I look at her. "There are some things that power alone cannot give you."

She stares at me, and I see the moment realization kicks in for her. "Oh. Adam." She looks at him in a different light, a softer light. "You're a fucking idiot. Why didn't you tell me?"

He snorts. "When have I ever been the touchy feely type?"

She gives an unamused laugh. "You're right, but I should have realized."

Adam shakes his head. "I didn't want you to know."

"Oh, how touching. You're making me gag with all of this sentimentality." I turn around and see the last person I would have imagined being here.

* * *

 **A/N: Oh oh! Can you guess who the newcomer is? *waggles eyebrows* But this chapter! This CHAPTER!**

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	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: A Stupid Choice

Adam

Fuck. It's the Specialist, Weiss' sister. What the hell is she doing here? My intel pegged her as still being in Atlas. Beside me, Weiss has wide, surprised eyes. "Winter?"

A genuine smile crosses Winter's lips. "Sister, dearest. Where did you disappear to for the break?"

Weiss looks at me then back at Winter. "I was… kidnapped. Father didn't tell you?" She's telling this woman this? She could kill me right here, right now, if she so pleased.

"You were what?!" Clearly her bastard of a father didn't tell his eldest that his youngest had been kidnapped by some of his most dangerous enemies.

"Winter, Father didn't tell you? Does nobody know?" I can hear the distress clear in her voice. Fuck that bastard. I could have tortured her, and he wouldn't have cared. Who the hell abandons their child in a time of need, if the can help it? I growl low in my throat at the prospect of Weiss having no one. Then, I stop. Weiss doesn't have no one. She has her team, her friends, her sister, and me now. She doesn't need her father. She doesn't have to rely on him. I smile a bit from this thought.

"Father told me that you resigned your position as heiress and moved in with one of your teammates." She whispers this, like she just figured out one of the least complicated puzzles, but it took her three times longer than everyone else. "He lied."

Weiss nods vigorously. "I figured that he just wanted me out of the way. He has connections that are beyond anything I've ever seen. Nobody knew that I was even missing."

Winter looks at Weiss, flabbergasted. "How could I have not known he was lying?"

Weiss just smiles and looks at her, warming my heart that she could still smile so genuinely. "He's had years of practice at it. You wouldn't be the first to fall for his lies. Don't blame yourself."

"Yeah, he didn't even answer any ransoms." I speak without thinking. I cover my mouth as soon as I say it. Fuck. I just gave myself away, didn't I?

"You." She widens her stance and puts her hand on the pommel of her weapon. "Adam Taurus, leader of the White Fang. What are you doing here?"

All I can do is just stand there, stunned that she even knows who I am. I was sure that I had kept my identity secret. I went to great lengths to hide myself, my name, even my face. I never let myself get caught on camera either. How does she know me?

"No answer?" Her hand slowly started to pull the blade out of its sheathe. I don't react. I try so hard to convey that I'm not a threat, and I'm failing miserably. Just the looks in my eyes, my eye color, makes me seem like I'm always angry, always a danger to those around me.

I scowl at her sudden pounce. I move to the side easily, but she just continues to come after me. I dodge her trying to gut me. "Why are you doing this?"

She grits her teeth and tries to double her efforts. "You kidnapped my sister, you bastard! What the hell are you doing here?"

I use Blush to deflect the next blow to my shoulder and duck under her arm. Sh twists her body and dislodges a second blade from her original. I jump into the air to avoid a sweep at my knees. "I came here because I need Weiss."

She growls at me. "You're not using her for fucking ransom!" She flips over my head, landing behind me. "I won't let you take her again!"

She lunges at me, aiming for my stomach. I swear to god that this woman is just wanting to eviscerate me. I bring Blush up, but I know that I don't have enough time. I take a deep breath and prepare to meet my death. I mean, I deserve it, right? I've done so many horrible things. It probably wouldn't have stopped if I hadn't met Weiss, either. I didn't even get to tell her how I feel. I wait for the blow, closing my eyes in the process, but it never comes. I crack my eye open and see a shocked Winter staring at my stomach. I look down and see Weiss, her figure bent over the sword, blood dripping onto the ground.

* * *

Weiss

I just saw them start fighting. Well, Winter was fighting. Adam was just blocking or dodging everything that Winter is throwing at him. I don't want this to happen. I never did. This is all insane. All I wanted was peace and an escape from loneliness. It was unexpected, but Adam gave me that. Winter and I used to be fairly close, but distance and time drew us apart, and I was left with no one for a very long time. I've had my team, yes, but none of them would understand. I never truly told them about myself, either. I never thought that it was important. They were filling a hole, a void of friendship that I never divulged. I didn't want to lose them, really. I never told them because I was afraid that they'd never trust me again. They'd think I was a monster, and I'd rather not have to explain why I did the things I did.

My attention shifts back to the fight in time to see Adam bring up his sheathe but slowly drop it. He's going to be impaled if he doesn't move, do something. I move to get a better look of his face, and I see his eyes closed. No. No, he can't just give up. He deserves a second chance, the same chance I got. Without even thinking, I cast a glyph under my feet and speed toward him. I make it in time, but it's not in the way that would have been the most logical. I didn't push him away or anything. I took the blade in my solar plexus. The pain is enough to make me want to pass out, but surprisingly, I don't. My vision starts getting spotty, though. I grip the blade to try to keep myself up as my knees threaten to buckle. It's getting harder and harder to breathe, each breath coming in more shallow than the last.

I can feel the warmth seeping out of me. I swear I can hear every cell screaming in agony from the loss of my oxygen providing blood escaping. Faint whispers catch my attention. Truly, they wouldn't even have to be whispers. Everything is just muffled around me. I take in a shaky breath, one that makes a new wave of pain wash over me. I clench my teeth and suppress the reflexive cough that wants to sneak by me. "Adam." I pant out the name in a raspy voice, feeling like my throat is coated in sandpaper.

I feel something caress my cheek, and I assume it's his or Winter's hand. Tears start to fall now. Why did I have to be so stupid. Why did I have to make this a fucking tragic ending to the story of my life? "Shh. Don't talk. Save every bit of energy and Aura you have to heal."

I recognize his voice. It's like a calming river, lapping over me, wanting me to stay awake but lulling me to sleep at the same time. I close my eyes. Everything was getting darker, anyway. I pull in another breath, trying to stay awake long enough to say what I have to. "Adam, please."

"No, Weiss. Please don't speak. I don't want to lose you. Just conserve your energy."

I smile. So sweet, but so pointless. I can feel myself slipping, and I have to tell him. Tears streak down my face, and I can feel them land in my ears and hair. Everything is dulled by pain, but it's like I was meant to feel more than that. I wince again as a new breath pulls at the sword, making it move, causing pain to pulse through me. "I love you." I had to tell him. I open my eyes and turn my head toward Winter, who I sense on my right. "You, too, sis. Love you." I bite my lip as the darkness envelopes me. I can't feel anything anymore. It's like I'm being ripped from my body. It's nothing like the movies. I don't see myself, just darkness, just calm, no pain or sensation at all. It's like I fell asleep, but I know I won't wake up again. I resign myself to this. It was my choice, stupid as it was. Darkness, nothingness, is all that's left.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry the fight scene was a bit flat. I'm still getting used to that. Whoa, whoa, calm down, cause I'm still a bit upset myself, and I wrote it for gods sake. *cries a bit* Sorry, she's my fav character. Anyway, um, yh, don't hate me.**

 **I do have a account. The link is on my profile. Any contribution would be much appreciated. :)**

 **Follow, Favorite, Review... Please don't hate me lol**


	10. Chapter 10

**Guys! Guys! Ok, no, this isn't the end of the feels. Wait, wait! Before you start to riot, just read it. Ok? Please?**

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Chapter 10: The End?

Adam

"No! No. No. Weiss!" I pick her head up and set her in my lap. No, this can't be the end. This can't be it. "I love you, too. Please don't leave me. I don't think I can live without you." I let my cheek fall against hers. Tears start to roll down my face, mingling with hers that haven't quite dried yet.

"We should call an ambulance. Move so I can pull my sword from her." I look up to see a stern Winter breaking down in front of me. She can't hold her tears, and they start streaming down her face.

I put my hand on hers in a panic, trying to keep her from pulling out the sword.. "Don't. She could still be alive!"

Her free hand wipes her face. "She's not. Look, she's not even breathing!" She points to Weiss' chest. I look down and see that her chest isn't moving.

I lay my ear on her chest to try to hear a heartbeat, but there's nothing. I choke on a sob. No. No. No. Not her, why her? "Why?" I whisper it, hoping that it's not true. "She can't be." I hold her to me carefully. I can't live without you. Please, don't be gone. Don't leave me. An idea comes into my head. She healed me earlier by transferring some of her Aura into me. Can I do that with her? Is she too far gone? I take in a shaky breath and begin to push my Aura into her. I try to find even a sliver of hers anywhere in her, but I don't sense her. It's like her body is a shell now. I sit up a bit after pulling back my Aura to rip the saber out of that obstacle out of the way, I wrap my arms around her and cry into her neck. "Why did you have to do something so stupid? Why did you have to leave me?"

I feel a hand on my shoulder. "You should go, Adam. The authorities and Ozpin are on their way. You need to leave."

I look up at Blake, who is giving me such a pitying look that I almost break out into tears again. "I can't just leave her."

She sighs, one of those sighs that a child would get for being petulant. "Go back to the White Fang and change it. That's what she would have wanted, to make the world a better place."

I wipe my tears with the heel of my palm. She's right. I look back down at Weiss. Farewell, my love. I hope I can make you proud. I give a single kiss to her forehead before letting her rest gently on the ground. Standing tall, I can hear the siren in the distance. An ambulance is coming, which means that there are more people coming, ones with the authority to arrest or kill me. I sigh as I give Weiss one last look before stepping over to the cliff. I gulp as I turn around to Blake. "Thank you. I'll be in touch." I nod as I drop down and start to descend the cliff. The tears slowly slide down my face, determined to get shed before I reach the compound once more. I steel myself for the inevitable, complicated process that I'm going to have to execute for the successful reformation of the White Fang.

* * *

Winter

I don't want to believe it. I did this. I killed her. I couldn't stop myself in time. Taurus left. He just set her down and left. I look at the cliff, then back at Weiss. Falling to my knees, I scoot over to be beside her. I look at her. She looks so peaceful, like she never experienced the pain that I know would have been coursing through her before she… before she… I take a deep breath. Before she died. I caress her cheek, surprised that she had even jumped in front of him. It must have been love. The Weiss that I knew from so long ago would never have even contemplated doing that for anyone. She was such a brat, but she'd changed so much. I bend over her and move the hair from her face. This isn't how I wanted it to end. If only I could have controlled my temper, I could have prevented this kind of ending. "I didn't want this." My voice is muffled by the tears, but I don't care. You're gone, and now I'm alone.

I inhale deeply to try to calm myself before everyone gets here. I take the handkerchief from my pocket and dab at my eyes. I guess my makeup is ruined now, but I couldn't care less about that. I just don't like to be seen vulnerable. I worked too hard to look like the Ice Queen, and I have to keep that up if Father is going to not interfere with my military career.

That girl that was here, Weiss' teammate is just staring silently, at Weiss, at me, at the cliff. It's hard to tell, but we're all in the same general direction. "You might want to leave, if you don't want to explain anything."

She just shakes her head. "I've contacted my team. They'll be here soon. I can't leave them to find her without someone to help them and explain." So reasonable, so emotionless.

I nod as the ambulance pulls up. When I called, I told them that she was already dead, so there's no rush. They don't jump out of the vehicle or anything. If anything, they gracefully glide to their equipment and come to check if she's truly dead. New tears threaten to escape as they record that she doesn't have a pulse and isn't breathing. They don't even question me, the one beside a bloody sword and an… obviously impaled sister. I place my hand over my mouth to silence the scream that would escape in anger. Someone should be blaming me, yelling, telling me that I just… killed my own sister, but all I get is pitied looks and a few shakes of their head.

I clench my teeth and fist before getting up. They'd pulled a stretcher up, and are fixing to cart her off in the ambulance. I follow them and request to ride with her. I wasn't there in her life, not when I was supposed to, and I'll be damned if I'm like that now. I hold her hand the whole ride, hoping that this is all just a nightmare that I'll wake up from in the morning. Sadly, I don't think I will.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry! *sits in corner, fending off tears* This isn't the END! There's an epilogue! I am so sorry.**

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	11. Epilogue

**This is the last installment of this fic. Plenty of you are probably cheering that this heart wrenching work is finally going to be over. I know that I am a bit relieved... *sigh* Enjoy the epilogue.**

* * *

Epilogue

Adam

"Um, hey Weiss. How have you been. I've been good. I, uh, I reformed the White Fang. It took a while and a lot of bloodshed, but it was accomplished. Too many people wanted to fight me on the change. We kept that attitude, that deadly, poisonous motto for too long, ya know." I stand beside her grave, caressing the memorial statue towering above me that was just placed here. Ruby commissioned it after she got her first job, and it's beautiful. "You look like an angel, love. I think you would have loved it." I smile at her sadly. "But, um, Blake's second in command now. She's absolutely brilliant at public relations. I would never have thought that she would have been able to pull it off."

"Ruby, I know Ruby visits as often as she can. I've kept up with, though. I have a special division dedicated to making sure she never gets in too deep." I laugh. "She definitely hates me for that. Um, Yang only ever contacts Blake, so it's really hard to ever pinpoint her if she doesn't want to be found. I think the last time she called, she was in Vacuo."

"And, um," I rake my hand over my face, "I stopped wearing my mask a couple of months ago. I think you'd be happy about that, too." I lick my lips before giving a shaky laugh.

I take a deep breath and look at the bouquet of roses in my hand. "I brought six. I even looked up all of the meanings for you. Six means I miss you. I didn't know that, but it's an old tradition, I think." I pluck the pink one from the group. "Pink stands for so many things that I feel when I think of you. Happiness, thankfulness, and admiration. I'm happy you were in my life, if only for a little while. I'm eternally thankful for the change that you catalyzed within me. I admire you, your beauty, inside and out, your strength, your love for others. They all inspired me." I place the rose at the statue's foot.

I pull a peach colored rose from the mix. "This one, this one represents the gratitude I show you now. You opened my life to so much. Nothing I have done in the past years would have ever happened if I hadn't kidnapped you that night." I give a shaky laugh that is swiftly turning to tears. I lay that one right beside the pink one.

When I reach for the next rose, my fingertips brush over it before I hold it up. "The white rose was something that I've been working on. I never imagined myself fully worthy of you. I'm still not entirely deserving, but I feel worthier, ya know? This is for all of the hard work and atonement you inspired within me." I bite my lip as I lay the rose down.

I can feel the tears sliding down my cheeks now, but I keep a smile. "This rose, the yellow rose, symbolizes friendship. I believe that we had developed one before you left. I would like to hope so, at least." I look at the sky, take a deep breath, and look back at the rose. "It also represents the joy you brought me when you spoke, when you laughed, when you held me. It was like nothing else in this world, and I just wish I could hear you and hold you again." I lay it down carefully beside the others.

I wipe some tears from my eyes before taking the next rose in my hand. "The red rose is many things, but I like to settle on the love aspect of its meaning. It's the manifestation of and the tangible belief that I love you and always will." I lay it down tenderly, on her foot this time.

I hold up the very last rose up. "This one, this one has a few ominous meanings. The black rose can mean an assortment of things. Death, destruction, but I chose it for the meaning that I think fits right now. It's a time of endings and beginnings. I know that I won't see you in this life, but after this, after I die, I'll find you again, and that's when everything will begin again, and I hope that we can do things right." I lay the last rose down and stare at the angel before me. "One day, my love, one day."

I turn to Blake and nod. "I'm ready to go. I've said what I needed, or at least what I prepared." I steal one last glance at the statue before wiping my tears away fully and going back to what I've been doing for the past five years without you.

* * *

Ruby

I look up at the statue and smile. "You know, Weiss, it's been hectic without you. I don't have a single person to watch my back during missions anymore." I hide my lips behind my hand and stage whisper to her. "Those goons that Adam sends don't count." I pep back up a bit. "But, you know, life is definitely exciting! Far off places, fighting Grimm, rewards, and even meeting new people! It's so cool. You should have been there, Weiss." I hang my head at that. "I should have been there, Weiss. I could have stopped it. I could have been fast enough." I look up at the marble statue. "But I wasn't there, Weiss. I couldn't stop it. I wasn't there to be fast enough. I'm sorry." The wind blows through my hair, and I could have sworn that her voice just called me a dolt. I smile through my tears. "I know." I whisper it lightly. "I am a dolt, but I was your dolt, your partner, your friend, and I miss you so much."

I feel a hand fall onto my shoulder, and I look up to see Yang smiling softly at me in comfort. "Is it my turn, yet, sis?"

I wipe my tears and nod. "Yeah. I just finished. Go ahead." I go back to lean against the tree that Yang had previously been at.

* * *

Yang

I clear my throat. "Hey there, Ice Queen, or should I call you Snow Angel now? I mean, Ruby did get your statue in the form of an angel after all." I look up at the sky as I let that pun sink in. "I, um, I found my mom." I hum in thought. "That's about as much as I achieved and all. Blake and Ruby have been way more active than me in the world." I laugh. "I take down a few baddies or a couple Grimm every now and then, but, um, I'm not really helping their whole 'save the world' thing. It's nothing personal, but I kinda just like to roam and stuff. I kinda burned out my little bit of determination when I found my mom."

I smile at her, ready to divulge the bit of gossip that I had accumulated. "You know, I think I know a bit of a secret. I think Blake is totally seeing that monkey-boy. You know the one. Sun was his name. She totally thinks she's keeping it a secret, but I figured it out ages ago. Sneaky little kitty ain't that good of a ninja."

I laugh but quickly grew serious again. "I'm worried about Ruby, though." I steal a glance her way. "She's not invincible, you know, and I feel like she's getting more and more reckless. Shocking, isn't it, that this is coming from me, right? I wish you were here to pull her back and drag her to safety by her cloak." I touch the monument and frown. "I really miss you. I mean, we weren't exactly the best of friends, but we were friends and teammates. We were close, at least in my eyes. I hope we meet again someday, after this life." I take a deep breath and turn to leave. "Come on, Ruby. You have a flight in the morning, and I don't want you to blame me for missing it."

Ruby snorts. "I'd blame you anyways, and you know it."

I throw my arm around her and we both start walking to Bumblebee. "Sorry for actually wanting to be around you, sis. I'll try to dial it back a little." I pause for a fraction of a second while smiling down at her and that hopeful expression. "Not." I don't want to lose you so soon. I just want to spend as much time as I can with you while I can. Please, stay safe.

* * *

Blake

"Hey, again. Been a long time, hasn't it? Probably about a year since I've been here." I sigh as I sit on the grass with my back against the monument. "I should have come sooner to give you an update and all, but there's just so much to do. The White Fang has come a long way, and it's all because of Adam. He really dug in deep to remold it. It's beautiful, really." I bite my lip as I toy with the grass around me. "There's not really much that has happened in my life that everybody else hasn't already filled you in on. As you know, I'm not much of a social person outside of necessity."

I lay my head back against the marble and stare at the sky. "I know Yang already told you of her suspicions about Sun and me. I can verify that. It's true. He and I started dating a couple of months ago. Ever since Beacon, there's just been this bit of fascination there, and we got together. It's nice, I guess, having someone there for me, someone to have my back." I sigh heavily. "You need to be here, Weiss. You could have been that person for Adam. He's running himself absolutely ragged with all of the work he's been putting into legal and moral equality for all Faunus. I'm pretty sure that you would have dragged him away or at least taken half of the work to lighten his load." I laugh bitterly. "If only you were here." I stand up and start to walk away from the monument. "See you later Weiss. I'll be back sooner the next time. Promise."

* * *

Winter

I drop to my knees. Even after so long and coming here so often, it's still too much. "Hello, sister dearest. I miss you so very much. I know I say it every single time I come here, but that never changes. I do miss you, and I'll always miss you."

I wipe the tears that are starting to form. "There's good news and bad news since I last came here. You know how I told you that Father was ill? Well, he's passed. It was an affair, truly. He tried to pass a man off as his heir at the last minute, but the legal processes weren't yet complete. I'm to be the CEO now, and I don't know if I can do it. Weiss, you were so much better than I am at this stuff. I can do business, but you knew it like the back of your hand. I'm not ready. I don't think I ever will be." I hang my head in shame, crying. "I wish you were here. You'd know what to do. Hell, I wouldn't even have to take up the mantle if you were here."

I bite my lip. "I'm here, just rambling about my problems, aren't I?" I wipe my eyes again. "I'm sorry. I just don't know who else to turn to. You're still the best problem-solver I know." I smile as I stand up. "I'll be back next week to tell you how everything goes, sister dearest. Love you." I take a deep breath and return to the car to travel to the board meeting that will solidify my position as CEO. New tears fall every time I come here, and it never stops. I miss you, Weiss, so very much.

* * *

The wind blows on every visit, signifying her presence. That marble statue never loses its gleam, and tears constantly water the ground around the grave. Love is tangible, surrounding that area in a sea of comfort. The roses are still there, but they somehow fell into the soil to bloom. Now, there are six uniquely colored bushes at the base of that statue, signifying the love and dedication of those that visit her. That snow angel represents the coming together of so many people, so many factions. It only took the death of a single girl to catalyze one of the single most existential merging of societies that Remnant has ever known.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, that's the end. I really think that that was a nice fic, if sad. I feel like I just had to get a bit of depression out somehow, and this was a perfect way to get it done. Sorry if I traumatized any of you. I apologize profusely.**

 **I do have a account. The link is on my profile. Any contribution would be much appreciated. :)**

 **Thank you for reading, Favorite and Review. :)**

 **P.S. What the hell is with all the fucking threats? I've taken them pretty well, knowing most of you are joking, but it's really a very bad thing to have to open up to right when you wake up in the morning. It puts a damper on my entire day! I don't appreciate the extra depression that winds up heaped on my shoulders. Think next time you make a review please. Would you like to get those kind of reviews? Most of you would answer 'No.' Well, neither do I. I can take criticism, but that's taking it way too far. Say something like, 'Well that was unexpected' or 'I'm crying so much right now' or even 'That pissed me off.' I can take that, but heck, threatening death is a bit too much... Sorry for the rant, but I just had to say it. That's it. Thanks for reading. I hope you don't hold this one story against me.**


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